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Dubois freshman Brock Baker leapt into the end zone with Hulett's Keaton Stevens on the final touchdown of the game Saturday in a 64-14 blowout by the Rams. Photo by Randy Tucker

Dubois powers into 6-man semis

Nov 4, 2013 - By Randy Tucker, Sports Writer

The Rams whipped Hulett 64-14 to set up this Friday's game against the Midwest Oilers.

After a slow start Dubois erupted for four touchdowns and 30 points in the final six minutes of the first period and blew out the Hulett Red Devils 64-14 in Class 1-A 6-man playoff action.

The win sends the Rams to Midwest this Friday in a semifinal match against the eastern conference champion Oilers. Midwest ran away from Farson 56-6 in their opening-round game.

Hulett employed an interesting strategy in attempting to spread the field in the already open format of 6-man football. The Red Devils sent three players wide and tried to play three-on-three with Dubois. The goal was to match their three best offensive players with the Rams defensively and hope for the best.

Initially the strategy worked, as Hulett took the opening kickoff, completed three passes, one a 23-yard completion from Keaton Stevens to Reece Jolley. Dubois wasn't crisp defensively, but Sterling Baker recovered a Red Devil fumble at the 13, and the Rams were in business.

On the first play from scrimmage Baker displayed the open field running skills that would plague Hulett all afternoon.

The Ram senior cut back and broke down the north sideline for a 33-yard gain on his first carry. Two plays later he rolled in from the 4-yard line. Rowan Hawk added the 2-point conversion kick, and Dubois held an 8-0 lead after just three offensive plays.

Points came quickly over the final six minutes of the first period, and the Dubois defense showed signs of another championship run. Junior Walker Carrico stuffed a Hulett running back for a 7-yard loss, and the Red Devils faced fourth and 22 from their own 9-yard line.

In another interesting twist, Hulett didn't punt all afternoon and converted only one of seven fourth-down attempts on the game.

With the ball in the shadow of the end zone, Baker scored on his first carry and Hawk split the uprights to double the score at 16-0.

Hulett moved to the Dubois 25, but Carrico knocked the ball loose and recovered for the Rams.

In another first play from scrimmage, Baker took the handoff from Kurt Leseberg and raced 55 yards up the middle of the field.

A gusting 20-mph westerly wind kept Hulett's passing at bay on many plays. Dubois head coach David Trembly called a timeout with just 53 seconds left in the opening period to keep the wind at his team's back for one more series.

Hulett failed on a fourth-down attempt from its own 33 and paid the price with just a second left in the first half when Baker scored again on a 5-yard scamper. Hawk's kick gave the Rams a commanding 30-0 lead after one.

It was more Baker and Carrico in the second half, with Baker passing to the 6-4 Carrico for a 23-yard score.

Hulett's offense ground to a halt, and Baker tallied a final score on an impressive power run that saw him stiff-arm two defenders backward to the turf on a 40-yard run. On the final 5 yards of the play Baker dragged Jolley into the end zone.

Hulett rallied late in the half, moving 65 yards through the air on five plays before Curtis Cornett scored on a 15-yard pass from Story Penning.

Hulett has a deceptive extra-point play. Players lined up in a running formation, but one back dropped to hold the ball just before the snap, and Jolley kicked the ball off the grass for 2 points.

Dubois led 44-8 at the half, tantalizingly in reach of the magic 45-point mercy rule and a running clock.

It took a while to get the 45-point margin as Hulett played inspired defense on the opening drive of the second half, forcing the Rams to turn the ball over on downs. The rally was short lived when Carrico recovered another fumble, this time on the 2-yard line.

Nathan Moore sprinted in untouched on a sweep, with Hawk converting the kick.

The running clock came three plays later when Baker scooped up an errant Hulett snap and raced 46 yards on the fumble run with 3:54 left in the third.

Penning tallied a 1-yard run for the Red Devils final touchdown of the season, and freshman Brock Baker picked up 22 yards on three carries before scoring the final time on the Rams home field in 2013.